Lanyard system and method for a marine vessel

Abstract

A method of operating a wireless lanyard system on a marine vessel having at least one propulsion device includes defining a permitted zone with respect to a helm area where an operator should occupy based on one or more conditions of the marine vessel. Generating a location inquiry signal by a helm transceiver at the helm area of the marine vessel, and receiving an operator location signal from an operator fob worn by the operator of the marine vessel in response to the location inquiry signal. The method further includes determining whether the operator is within the permitted zone with respect to the helm area based on the operator location signal, and generating a lanyard event when the operator is not within the permitted zone. Upon generation of the lanyard event, the propulsion device is controlled to reduce an engine RPM to an idle RPM or the propulsion device is turned off.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of operating a wireless lanyard system on a marine vessel having at least one propulsion device, the method comprising:
 operating an operator fob worn by an operator and a helm transceiver at a helm area of the marine vessel to communicate and receive an operator location signal; 
 determining whether the operator is within a permitted zone with respect to the helm area based on the operator location signal; 
 generating a lanyard event when the operator is not within the permitted zone; and 
 upon generation of the lanyard event, controlling the propulsion device to reduce an engine rpm to an idle rpm or to turn off the propulsion device. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising defining a radius of the permitted zone based on one or more conditions of the marine vessel. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising defining the radius of the permitted zone based on at least one of the engine rpm or a vessel speed. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 3 , further comprising adjusting a radius of the permitted zone based on the at least one of the engine rpm or the vessel speed such that the radius decreases as the engine rpm or the vessel speed increases. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 2 , further comprising defining the radius of the permitted zone based on a GPS location of the marine vessel. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining an operator distance between the operator fob and the helm transceiver based on the operator location signal; and 
 determining whether the operator is within the permitted zone based on a comparison between the operator distance and a radius of the permitted zone. 
 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , wherein upon generation of the lanyard event the propulsion device is controlled such that the engine rpm is reduced to idle rpm at a predetermined rpm reduction rate. 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 7 , further comprising detecting that the engine rpm is within a predefined range of an idle setpoint, and then automatically controlling a gear system of the propulsion device to shift to a neutral gear position. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , further comprising, upon controlling the gear system to shift to the neutral gear position, disabling the wireless lanyard system such that no subsequent lanyard event is generated. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising disabling the wireless lanyard system such that no lanyard event is generated when at least one of a gear system of the propulsion device is in a neutral gear position, an engine rpm is below a predetermined threshold rpm, and a vessel speed of the marine vessel is below a threshold vessel speed. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating an auditory warning alert upon detecting that the operator is not within the permitted zone; and 
 determining that the operator is not within the permitted zone for a predefined warning period prior to generating the lanyard event. 
 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 operating a passenger fob worn by a passenger and a helm transceiver at a helm area of the marine vessel to communicate and receive a passenger location signal; 
 determine whether the passenger is present on the marine vessel based on the passenger location signal; and 
 generate a passenger overboard alert when the passenger is not present on the marine vessel. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 12 , wherein the passenger overboard alert is an auditory alert. 
     
     
       14. A method of operating a lanyard system on a marine vessel having at least one propulsion device, the method comprising:
 determining, based on a connection state of an operator device worn by an operator of the marine vessel to a receiver device at a helm area of the marine vessel, whether the operator is within a permitted zone with respect to the helm area; 
 generating a lanyard event when the operator is not detected within the permitted zone; 
 upon generating a lanyard event, reducing an engine rpm of an engine in the propulsion device to an idle rpm; and 
 controlling a gear system of the propulsion device to shift to a neutral gear position. 
 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the engine rpm is reduced to idle rpm at a predetermined rpm reduction rate. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising detecting that the engine rpm is within a predefined range of the idle rpm prior to controlling gear system of the propulsion device to shift to the neutral gear position. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising, upon controlling the gear system to shift to the neutral gear position, disabling the lanyard system such that no subsequent lanyard event is generated. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising disabling the lanyard system such that no lanyard event is generated when at least one of a gear system of the propulsion device is in a neutral gear position, an engine rpm is below a predetermined threshold rpm, and a vessel speed of the marine vessel is below a threshold vessel speed. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 14 , further comprising:
 generating an auditory warning alert upon detecting that the operator is not within the permitted zone; and 
 determining that the operator is not within the permitted zone for a predefined warning period prior to generating the lanyard event. 
 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 14 , wherein the operator device is connected to the receiver device by one of a wired link or a wireless link.